Curse you Blogger!

Curses! I've reached my maximum blogs to follow! Apparently 300 is the magic number. Why is there even a limit? I've read on other blogs of this problem but since I hadn't encountered this dilemma, I assumed they got rid of the nasty situation. Not so. So now I'll have to go through the grueling task of selecting some blogs to unfollow :( I hate that. If I follow a blog, it's because I am genuinely interested in reading it, or at least looking at the pictures ;) Does anyone have a tip to give me on finding blogs that might be no longer used?

So if you've not blogged in a while and I was a follower, sorry!

Oh My Lucky Stars!

My lucky friendship stars are shining brightly down on me! My good friend Sandra over at Under The Sun With Me has sent me the sweetest Valentine's package! I say my lucky stars because I feel so lucky to be friends with Sandra and so many of you out there in blog land. Even though we may never meet in person, my life has been enriched and sweetened with your friendship. Sandra has also lost her dear mother and we cry together but also rejoice in knowing we will both see them again. She has a great blog, a great eye and is very creative. I've many many times wished I had the ability to "beam" myself over there in San Diego to attend her shows with her. Oh well, I'll just have to settle for reading all about it on her blog. Also, she picks out some of the greatest music to read her posts by. One of my favorites happen to be playing now, which is Into the Mystic by Van Morrison.

Now to show you all the goodies!!

Here is the pretty packaging...

pretty packaging that Lightning had to check out

The chocolates were promptly gobbled down. OOOO they were sooo creamy and yummy!

how appropriate was the little saying!

ain't that the truth!

Then a sweet little Valentine Card...

I love dragonflies!! This one has some bling! Even better!! (she really knows me!)

Part of what was inside... a sweet friendship magnet!

How adorable are these little stuffed lovey's??? She handmade them! They are so sweet! I happen to love crows and who doesn't love hearts? Their little feet are made of spools.

Here's where I put the dragonfly, right on my desk so he can watch me surf.

I haven't decided where to put my little heart yet, but the crow will watch over the birds outside and the kitchen.

Sandra, you have no idea how you've probably outdone my husband for Valentine's Day!

I really have to thank Sandra for her kindness and friendship. Thanks sistah! This just made my day to open up the mailbox to find that box! Makes me all warm and fuzzy inside :)

Aren't friends the best?!

Is there a Blog-oholic Anonymous?

So you all know I'm a night owl. But that doesn't mean I get to sleep in until noon (I wish!). So... while I should be sleeping like baby kitties...

shhh...

I look more like poor Zoey, who has to share her bed with the bed hogs... and who doesn't get as much sleep as she should. Notice her blood shot eyes.. poor thing, here baby, I've got some Visine I'll share.

I'm up reading blogs! I can't help myself... I just can't stop. I've got a neck and back ache out of this world and my derrière is throbbing from sitting in my broken chair. Yes, I said broken. Probably from all the crap I eat and plop on this cheap chair. It also gets my sciatic nerve going and I still wont' stop. I put my son to bed and tell myself... ok tonight I'm really tired, I'll just spend 30 minutes online puttering around and go to bed or maybe catch up on Medium. But no... 3 hours later and here I am. Literally, 3 hours later. I think I might have a problem. "hi, I'm Jaime and I'm a blog-oholic." Say it now... *Hi Jaime*

I may be getting a little slap happy. I'm running on low sleep. I'm probably backlogged by 8 hours or so this week alone. I know I'm not alone out here! Gimmee a shout out!

Also, if you commented on my blog from the OWOH post and I still haven't gotten back to you yet please hang on. I'm still going and you know I practically leave a book on everyone's blog. oyi. If you are a new follower, I promise I'll be by to your blog soon and reciprocate! Not just to do that, but because if you care enough to see what's going on in my life, I want to know what's going on in yours! Cause that's how I roll... haha (I don't know where that came from) I think I need some chocolate.

1st GIVEAWAY & my 200th post!

Yay! It's my 200th post today! I've been blogging for a while but I don't post everyday so this is exciting for me. My 100th post kinda came and went without me realizing it, so I wanted to do something special for this milestone.

I've been going back and forth as to what to offer in my giveaway. I want it to be something nice and also something that people will actually want to receive and that is what has stumped me. I've won a couple things myself and have always been so pleased with the gift, that I feel I have some big shoes to fill. Since I don't make jewelry and I don't have anything for sale in my shop that you can wear I wonder if people will actually want anything I've got. So I've thought since it's the Christmas season and December 1st and who couldn't use another decoration. Plus, that isn't too taste specific well maybe a little, it's not traditional colors. I've decided to give away my mixed media "Blue Santa" 5x7 framed print. I also will send along some other goodies that I want to remain a surprise.  (see the Santa before it was finished here). This is just the right size for display on a counter or side table or the mantle, tucked in the tree, even the bathroom sink. It stands on it's own and also hangs. It is ready to display.

I was inspired to draw this Santa because of my grandmother, Elma, who is 94. She had an incredible Santa collection, I mean thousands. I was mesmerized as a child with her carefully laid out collection and many Santa trees throughout her warm and inviting home where I spent every Christmas Day. It is such a warm and fuzzy memory for me now. Her favorites were always a little bit quirky and she is going to love this one, since I plan to give her my original framed for her gift this year. She now has had to give up most all her earthly possessions because she lives in an Assisted Living apartment.

If the Santa isn't your thing, then you'll have a gift to give to a last minute drop in or a "Dirty Santa" party and at the very least you'll have a white frame with matte. ;)

I offer this Santa as an ACEO right now in my Artfire shop and my Etsy Shop and will be adding this larger size as soon as possible, hopefully this evening. What does everyone think about offering it for sale with the matt and frame?

Blue Santa 5x7 framed mixed media signed print

Deadline for entry is Friday, December 10th 2010 6 pm Central time. Winner will be picked by random and be notified by email so please make sure you have a way for me to contact you. I will mail it out right away so you can enjoy it displayed for Christmas. If you have trouble posting just contact me (my email is under my profile picture in "about me" along right side bar)

Here's what ya gotta do to enter (Rules of participation):

1. Leave a comment on this post; and
2. Follow me :)
3. For one additional entry, become a fan on facebook (like)

While it's not necessary to tell others about via twitter or on your blog or elsewhere, I'd appreciate it! I always like to return favors ;)

You need to have a place where it can be delivered, no post boxes unless you can receive a parcel there. Good luck!

Why do you blog or read blogs?

Today I read an interesting little article called What is your favorite thing about blogging? by Crissy Herron on Indiebizchicks.com. It got me to thinking about how much of an outlet my blog has become for me and how important it is to me. There are so many reasons people blog, but I blog to vent, seek comfort and friendship, to feel connected to others and find and share inspiration and honestly to look for approval, though I don't like to admit that. I have met so many caring people and "soul sisters" that I can't imagine just dropping it or giving it up. I know that I really don't have that much important stuff to contribute, but I feel like part of a community here and I've always liked to throw in my two cents anyway. I kinda feel like my own CEO of my life here. I control what I post, what I link to and when to do it. When do you really have that much control in life? Not very often, for me.

I've often wondered are there many people out there that just read blogs and not have their own? I have so many blogs that I read or at least try to keep up with that I could easily fill my time just reading and not do any writing myself. But I feel like I have too much to say and to show. I guess I'm kinda the spoiled child that demands "look at me, look at  me!"... ha ha

I love to read about other people's lives and what they do and what goes on and their kids and animals and homes. People really open up about themselves in their blogs whether they realize it or not. I especially like to read the blogs of creative people and secretly hope some of their ambition and energy will rub off. One of my most favorite things to read about of these creative people is their workspace. Like that expensive and totally addictive magazine "Where women create", I get to peek into their creative lives and see how I stack up. I also like to read snippets of facts about them. I used to post at the bottom of my posts "This artist's observations of the day" but kinda got out of it. I think I'll start that back up, because that is stuff I like to read. I also have recently been trying to go back and correctly label my posts. If you have recently just started to blog, this is important. It really is time consuming to go back and label and re-label but I think it is making my blog easier to navigate even if just for myself. I didn't quite understand the labels before, but now it has clicked.

My grandma, who is 94, used to write in her diary all the time. She has books and books of them and tells me she goes through occasionally to remember. I like that, and a blog or at least my blog is kinda like a modern day diary that me and 12 million other souls can read if they so please. Of course I don't put everything out there that I think or do, most of that would be dull, boring and possibly admissible in court. But I like to share things in my life and the voices in my head... ha ha. It definitely has helped me deal with my mother's death.

My husband truly does not understand this at all. I was taking pictures the other day of food to use for a post and he asked me what on earth was I doing? I used to sheepishly answer "nothing", but now I just smile to myself and proudly tell him I'm sharing with my friends. He just rolls his eyes and shakes his head. I guess he'll never understand. Well, he doesn't have to. I have all of you. :)

Why do you blog or read blogs?

blogging

so I'm trying to think of something terribly interesting to say and must admit, I'm at a loss. what is interesting enough in my life that someone else would want to hear about? 

i've recently signed up for a site called linkreferral.com recommended from my friend, Roxie ( http://www.wix.com/rdon47630/RBR ) and it's interesting so far. I guess that I'm getting some hits at least. if you have any kind of site that you want to draw some traffic to, check it out. too early to give an opinion as to if it is generating buying customers.

i'm thinking of trying on ebay, not sure. so busy now that i'm not sure i've got the time. starting up this week are 2 farmer's markets that i'll be attending as much as possible - mt vernon, IN and New Harmony, IN

my show last saturday turned out bad. descent turnout, but i had a loss because a big gust of wind came up and blew 5 of my pieces to the ground shattering them and busting up the frames. very upsetting. one step forward, two steps back... that's the way it goes.